1. DO NOW – 11/17/15 Write a 1-2 sentence response to the question below. 1)How would you revise the following thesis statement to make it more specific and/or significant: 2)“The U.S. represents freedom and peace-it should use force wisely.” 1)How would you revise the following thesis statement to make it more specific and/or significant: 2)“The U.S. represents freedom and peace-it should use force wisely.”

2. Topic / Objective & Essential Question Topic / Objective: 1) To use the graphic organizer and outline to develop a first draft for Essay #3. Essential Question: 1) How do you make a thesis statement more significant and specific? Topic / Objective: 1) To use the graphic organizer and outline to develop a first draft for Essay #3. Essential Question: 1) How do you make a thesis statement more significant and specific?

3. What is a thesis? Thesis: a writer’s overarching claim in an essay.

4. What makes an effective thesis? The thesis should be sufficiently specific. A thesis should be significant.

5. What does specific mean? When a writer has narrowed or refined his or her ideas to a point where they cannot be made more specific. 1)How do you do this? Name the things you’re analyzing A) Name the things you’re analyzing – whether with proper nouns or by using more descriptive nouns and verbs.

6. Examples of Specificity Problematic statements: a) The poem is about motherhood. b) One episode of a talk radio program shows how much of today’s airwaves are silly and uninformative. Problematic statements: a) The poem is about motherhood. b) One episode of a talk radio program shows how much of today’s airwaves are silly and uninformative. Revisions: a) Alvarez’s “Woman’s Work” shows her appreciation of the sacrifices her mother made in raising her. b) The talk radio program, “Republicans Today” shows how today’s airwaves are littered with one-sided accusations. Revisions: a) Alvarez’s “Woman’s Work” shows her appreciation of the sacrifices her mother made in raising her. b) The talk radio program, “Republicans Today” shows how today’s airwaves are littered with one-sided accusations.

7. A thesis should be significant. Q: What does making a thesis significant mean? A: It should be a point that is contestable, debatable, or otherwise not settled or determined.

8. Examples of Achieving Significance Problematic Statement: a) The more you learn, the greater are your chances of success in the world. Revision: a) Even though one might achieve greatness in education, there is no guarantee of success. Revision: a) Even though one might achieve greatness in education, there is no guarantee of success.

9. Writing Time 1)Using the graphic organizer/outline, write a draft of your essay at your desks or on the computers. 2)Revise or develop a thesis statement, making it specific and/or significant. 1)Using the graphic organizer/outline, write a draft of your essay at your desks or on the computers. 2)Revise or develop a thesis statement, making it specific and/or significant.

10. Choose a sample thesis to revise, edit, or adapt for your essay: 1)Freedom is never given; it must be demanded. 2)People have rights that need to be considered. 3)The welfare of the many often outweighs the rights of a few. 1)Freedom is never given; it must be demanded. 2)People have rights that need to be considered. 3)The welfare of the many often outweighs the rights of a few.

11. Choose a sample thesis to revise, edit, or adapt for your essay: 1)Nature is our companion, not our enemy, and it should be preserved. 2)The wonders of nature are many. 3)We see ourselves in nature – what we do to it, we do to ourselves. 1)Nature is our companion, not our enemy, and it should be preserved. 2)The wonders of nature are many. 3)We see ourselves in nature – what we do to it, we do to ourselves.